Sexual misconduct allegations rock Nevada Senate primary

A candidate seeking a seat in the Nevada Senate says he’s not guilty of sexual misconduct allegations that have become a flashpoint in a race that could help Democrats secure a supermajority in the chamber.

Christian Bishop, a Henderson businessman and one of two Democratic candidates on the District 5 primary ballot, has been accused by two Utah women of inappropriate sexual behavior, a claim supporters of primary opponent Jennifer Atlas brought to light last month in campaign mailers sent to registered Democratic voters in the district.

The slick mailers highlight accusations from two women claiming Bishop in 2022 offered to pay for them to travel to Las Vegas. Bishop allegedly inundated one of the women with requests for nude photos and sex, which she declined on multiple occasions, the mailers allege.

Bishop, a former contestant on the reality dating show “The Bachelorette,” canceled the women’s hotel reservation and blocked them from communicating with him on social media, the women said.

They shared their story in 2022 after the alleged incidents, initially on a TikTok video that garnered millions of views and later on a podcast about the popular “Bachelor” / “Bachelorette” franchise. The allegations have gained widespread attention following a story last month in the Daily Beast.

One of the women on the podcast said, “We wanted to tell what happened and we wanted to make other girls aware of guys that think like this and guys that treat girls like this and actually think that’s OK.”

Bishop and Atlas are in a heated primary, where the winner will face Republican incumbent Carrie Buck, the state Senate assistant minority leader.

Democrats hold 13 of 21 seats — one seat shy of the two-thirds needed for a supermajority — with 10 seats in the chamber up for grabs in the 2024 election. Buck won the seat in 2020 by 329 votes out of more than 67,000 votes cast. Democrats see the seat as a prime opportunity to flip.

Bishop, 35, vehemently denied the allegations in an interview with the Sun and said the claims, specifically the mailer’s language about “targeting” a young woman, were sensationalized.

Bishop said the highlighting of his alleged impropriety echoed previous unfair treatment of Black candidates in American politics.

“Unfortunately, this seems to happen, especially to Black candidates that run for office often, where things are used against them in a very sensationalized manner,” Bishop said. “I think there’s a clear history, both with wrongdoing in the Legislature that should be addressed to make sure that it’s a safe place and a safe building for women, but also an environment that hasn’t been the most comfortable for African Americans running for office.”

The mailers were sent out by Nevada Legislate Victory, a political action committee that also sent out mailers supporting Atlas, a paralegal and former lobbyist.

Atlas has amassed critical support from the Nevada AFL-CIO and the Nevada Democratic Caucus, and raised over $36,000, according to campaign finance reports filed in April.

Atlas’ website also touts endorsements from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and former Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Bishop has more available funds and has spent almost four times as much as Atlas, according to finance reports.

Bishop attributed the Republican control of Senate District 5 to missteps by the Democratic Party, including the endorsement of Atlas.

“A lot of people are very frustrated and disappointed with what Democratic leadership has chosen to do in this race,” Bishop said.

Bishop has several significant endorsements, including the Culinary Union and the Nevada State Education Association, which seem to be secure despite the recent allegations. The Culinary Union declined to comment on whether its endorsement would be affected by the claims in the mailers.

Buck is much better funded than either of the two Democratic candidates, with the April finance reports listing an almost $120,000 balance in what’s shaping up to be a heated few months of campaigning ahead of the general election in November.

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